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Poor posture can cause back, neck and shoulder pain and
negatively impact your productivity
-- poor posture. While a healthy spine has a slight S-shaped
curve, the majority of us slouch into a C-shape when sitting at
our desks.

"The human body was built to move more than sit in a chair, car
and couch for a large chunk of the day," says Seattle-based yoga
instructor Michael Huffman. Leaning too far forward
to look at a computer monitor or slouching can cause neck and
back aches, stiffness and cartilage compression.

"No matter how good your posture is, when you're sitting at a
desk all day, your muscles are working very hard to hold your
spine up, so just releasing tension from those muscles and
allowing them to stretch takes a lot of pressure off the spine
and is also energizing," says Alameda,Calif-based yoga instructor
Sandy Blaine and author of Yoga for Computer Users (Rodmell Press,
2008).

Good posture allows the muscles around the lungs to stretch,
allowing you to take fuller breaths, boosting productivity and
improving concentration and focus. But you don't have to go to a
yoga studio to get these benefits. The following yoga poses can
be done even when you can't leave your desk.

1. Seated Spinal Twist. [This pose is beneficial
in] releasing back tension that collects when you're holding a
seated position all day," says Blaine. Plant your feet on the
floor and elongate your spine with the crown of your head in line
with your tailbone. Next, cross your right leg over your left and
on the exhale, twist from the lower belly towards the top leg,
allowing the upper body to follow. Hold the pose on each side for
30 seconds to one minute.

2. Forward Bend (Seated Uttanasana). Sitting
towards the front edge of your chair, plant your feet slightly
wider than your hips so your shoulders can fit between your
knees. For those with less flexibility or a sensitive lower back,
lean forward, resting your forearms on your knees and elongate
the spine into a half-forward bend. If you can go further, drop
your shoulders between your knees so your head hangs toward the
floor. "Forward bending brings fresh oxygen to the brain and puts
some needed space in the rear section of the spinal disks," says
Huffman.

3. Hands Alive.This pose is a variation on
Urdhva Hastasana or upward facing salute, it stretches your
shoulders and armpits, helps relieve mild anxiety and improves
circulation in the back and arms.Sit tall, pushing your sit bones
into the chair. Imagine a string is attached to the top of your
head that gently lifts the crown up, putting space between your
vertebrate. Inhale and raise your arms towards the ceiling with
palms facing each other, make sure to relax your shoulders away
from your ears. Spread your fingers wide, then close them into
fists six times. Keep your spine long and make sure your rib cage
isn't jutting out. Exhale and bring your hands down.

4. "I dream of Genie." Sit up in your chair
and fold your arms at shoulder height like a genie, keeping your
torso stable. Swing your arms from one side to the other in that
position, keeping your ribcage and spine stable. "Everyone has
tight thoracic spinal muscles -- the rhomboids and paraspinals
that run along the spine between the shoulder blades. [This pose]
breaks up tension in these muscles," says Blaine.